EU Ambassador to Albania, Silvio Gonzato: Decriminalization of defamation remains a priority

2026-03-25 11:50:00, Aktualitet CNA

EU Ambassador to Albania, Silvio Gonzato: Decriminalization of defamation

The European Union Ambassador to Albania, Silvio Gonzato, stressed the importance of the recommendations of the working groups on the safety of journalists and judicial reform.

He noted that several recommendations, including the decriminalization of defamation, have not yet been implemented, while the deadlines set by Brussels have affected the quality of the process.

Gonzato stressed that negotiations with the EU are moving forward, but there is still work to be done, underlining the expectation for the revision of the law on audiovisual media.

The Ambassador expressed the EU's support for the process and the desire for the reform to be successful.

"I think that the various working groups have issued recommendations, such as the protocol on the safety of journalists. The contributions are important not only for the reform but also for us as an EU delegation to assess the battle and commitments on the path of the rule of law and to continue the progress of the negotiations. I am aware that there are challenges, and some recommendations were not taken into account in the initial phase, I refer to the recommendations to decriminalize the aspect of defamation.

I must admit that the deadlines set by Brussels were such that they compromised the quality of the process. Negotiations are moving forward, but there is still work to be done. Specifically on the issue of decriminalization of defamation, the highest objective for the EU remains complete decriminalization in line with EU standards. The law on audiovisual media is currently awaiting a review of the laws. I will follow the work you will do. We want this experiment to succeed", Gonzato said, among other things./ CNA